The CDA stands for Child Development Associate. It is a national on the job training program in which a child care provider must demonstrate his/her competence to provide quality child care.
Eligibility Requirements:
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18 years of age
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High School Diploma or GED
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480 clock hours of experience working or volunteering with children in the last 5 years
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120 clock hours of formal child care training /education in the past 5 years
What are the benefits of a CDA?
¨ To move toward professionalism
¨ To work smarter, not harder
¨ To retain employment
¨ To be consulted by parents as experts in the field
¨ Move forward in the Great Start to Quality system
How does a CDA teacher benefit children?
¨ Children will be more successful socially and academically when the teacher understands why they are teaching what they are teaching
¨ Children are better motivated
¨ Children are better prepared for school
¨ Children demonstrate better classroom behavior
¨ Children are less likely to be assigned to a special education classroom
¨ They are more likely to graduate from High School